What inspired the naming of the Elizabethan age?

The Elizabethan Age is named after Queen Elizabeth I of England, who reigned from 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the dominant figure of the age, presiding over an increase in England's wealth, stability and international standing. Her reign was also distinguished by a flowering of the arts, most notably in literature with the works of Jonson, Spenser, Marlowe, and, of course, Shakespeare.

History has bestowed upon Elizabeth an era of her own...

The Elizabethan Age is named after Queen Elizabeth I of England, who reigned from 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the dominant figure of the age, presiding over an increase in England's wealth, stability and international standing. Her reign was also distinguished by a flowering of the arts, most notably in literature with the works of Jonson, Spenser, Marlowe, and, of course, Shakespeare.

History has bestowed upon Elizabeth an era of her own because she was such a dominant personality. She overcame a good deal of personal trauma in her early life to develop into a formidably intelligent, tough-minded woman who provided England with the stability it so desperately needed after almost thirty years of religious and social upheaval. Over time, she came to be loved and feared in equal measure, establishing herself as a national icon who provided great inspiration to the English sailors in their rout of the Spanish Armada. Her religious settlement of 1559 put the Church of England on firm foundations and reduced interdenominational conflict, while strengthening the English throne.

In almost every aspect of English public life, the forceful, dominating personality of Queen Elizabeth I made an indelible mark. However, Elizabeth continues to be judged by history, there can be no doubt that the long years of her reign can rightly be called the Elizabethan Age.